The Stars Will Shine
by Whiffles
Summary: This is the tale of how Viola regains her memories.
1. the first night

"Z.W.E.I!" I call out to my wounded comrade as his mysterious attacker, a man wielding a rapier and wearing a hat, begins to flee into the dark forest. If only I hadn't gone to that pond to rinse myself off, that wouldn't have happened. My orb was glowing brightly, showing me the battle that would leave my dear friend wounded badly, but still, I was unable to stop it. Had I arrived only a minute later, though, the situation would be different. Worse, even.

"Viola! Get outta here!" he commands me as my eyes land on his attacker, who does not return the gaze. He must not see me, and soon Z.W.E.I. steps between the two of us.

"This will benefit the both of us," I find myself mumbling after peering into my orb once again.

With his back to mine, he becomes distracted by my entranced tone as his words slip out without much thought. "This guy? Really?"

"His name is Raphael."

"Raphael?" he repeats, and I can hear his attacker stopping in his tracks. I have the feeling he still feels threatened, maybe even more than he had felt before his name was announced.

"How do you know my name?"

"In the moon, I see everything," I whisper as I continue watching the future.

"She sees everything," Z.W.E.I. relays.

_"Amy, at last! I've found you!"_ I am the only one to hear these words.

_He turns to face me, shooting a grateful smile in my direction. For once, I am happy to have helped someone. I feel more complete. This man standing before Z.W.E.I. has handed me my memories, and although I do not have them in reality, I will not let go of that feeling. I have helped him find his beloved Amy, and in return, he has made me whole again, if I ever was._

"Don't step any closer!" Z.W.E.I. warns Raphael. "She has no intention of harming you if you leave her alone."

_It isn't that simple, I see. Raphael is more fearsome than helpful. Although I've managed to help him, and he helped me in return, he can't settle for happiness without receiving something else in return, something other than finding his love. He needs to take something from me. I cry out in embarrassment and fear of the strange man as he pins me against a wall, tearing away at my clothing. My stockings come down as he feels me up against my will. It is at this moment when I slowly start to remember. But what is it that I remember? Feeling violated, I try to fight him off, and that's where I can no longer see into the future._

_If this is the price I must pay to regain my life, then so be it._

_The stars will shine when the moment comes, and I will finally be at peace with myself._

The crunching of the leaves stops, followed by the man's words, "Very well then."

"Z.W.E.I," I whisper to him after a long series of glimpses into the future. "We need him, but keep a close eye on him."

He turns around, and I am able to barely make out the features of his attacker from quite a distance away. Just as I have foreseen. "We don't need him, Viola."

"Tell him we will help him find Amy. He will help me regain my lost memories."

"Tell him yourself."

"I'm not talking to him for what he intends to do."

Z.W.E.I. rolls his eyes, but doesn't question me. He turns back around to face Raphael. "She says you'll find someone named Amy if you stay with us," he lets out in a sigh. I turn back around, glaring intimidatingly at the man who will make me both whole and empty. He gives no response.

_Will I have anything to gain? I hope the price will be worth it._

"Amy, you say?" he repeats the girl's name, sounding hopeful and yet, still skeptical.

"Without me, he will never find her."

"She's your only hope of finding her," he relays the message in his own words.

"Then I guess I have no choice but to follow you."


	2. the second night

I go wherever I see myself going. Z.W.E.I. and Raphael follow me, although to be honest I haven't the slightest idea where I'm headed. I recognize this trail from my glimpses into the future, but am unpleasantly surprised to be greeted by a group of bandits who had been following us. I did not see this, nor did Z.W.E.I. Luckily, if Raphael had not pushed me over when one of the bandits made an attempt to attack me, I might be missing an arm right now. Instead, I sit helplessly on the ground as I see another glimpse into the future.

_"Amy! Amy! Amy, I'm back," the blonde shouts, just beyond my vision, and suddenly the view changes. I see his happy face, but this is unlike anything I had seen before. I am completely paralyzed, and everything is crystal orb clear. The most striking difference, however, is that I cannot freely change my perspective._

_Am I witnessing the future from someone's perspective? What must this mean? Why is it essential for me to feel another's emotions? _

_The scattered books on the floor tell me she's in a library, or at least in the home of someone very knowledgeable, who places much importance on education. I do not recognize the room, but It's more of a lead than I've had before._

I brush myself off when the vision ends, and I hurry to aid my allies. The bandit who is closest to me is the one fighting Raphael. I surprise his attacker as I send my orb to do my bidding, and Raphael looks at me blankly. His eyes are the same color as mine, an unusual glowing red, but he seems to think nothing of this similarity.

Z.W.E.I. quickly defeats his opponents before I can thank Raphael for shoving me out of the way.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Z.W.E.I. remarks, and I get the feeling he expected me to have seen that. I cannot predict everything, and he knows this.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I pass Raphael and inform Z.W.E.I. that we need to find the closest library.

I can't help but notice how attractive Raphael is, and I scold myself for thinking that. He wants to hurt me. He may not know it yet, but I've already seen it. The smile on his face when he has me alone and exposes my body. I tell myself that if I can see this coming, I can prevent it. Maybe we can both get what we need without anyone getting hurt. But still, that sight alone is enough to change my opinion of the stranger.

Z.W.E.I. takes the lead now and I turn around when I stop hearing Raphael's steps behind me. From a distance away, I see him leaning over one of the fallen bandits, draining her blood from her neck, but for some reason, this doesn't scare me.

A vampire… another malfested?


	3. the third night

This is not the place I had seen in my vision, but Z.W.E.I. insists that we're off to a good start. We decide to call it a night, as the three of us are all quite exhausted from today's events.

I pass out cold within a short amount of time, but awaken to Raphael's footsteps approaching me. I panic when I don't see Z.W.E.I. around, and I worry that what I've seen before is about to happen. If this is the case, I'd rather be in a position to fight back, and I quickly rise to my feet before he steps within reach of me, still wearing the long dress and veil from earlier today.

"Viola, I should have told you earlier, but... I couldn't be more grateful for what you're doing for me."

False alarm? I sit back down against the wall and look up at him, showing him my eyes and making it clear I recognize him and am not afraid.

Although on the inside, I don't know what to think. I'm terrified.

"Helping me find Amy, that is..." he clarifies in a low tone, sitting next to me as his arm brushes against mine.

_At this moment I see much more clearly than today's earlier vision. Also, I begin to panic at what I witness him doing to another young woman... make that two other young women. _

He senses this and I have no way to escape the conversation.

"Do you see something?" he asks, and I mumble, "Mhm."

"Is it Amy?" he demands to know, and I mumble again, negatively this time.

"Me?"

_Why can't I speak in his presence?_

I nod before informing him of his harsh future, for the first time making my voice known to him. For some reason it's a lot of effort. "Do you know a girl with red hair?"

He gives me the strangest look, seeming upset by something I just said as he looks not into my eyes. "Amy…"

So Amy is the red-haired girl in his future. The girl with raised arms, whose dead body dropped before Raphael in my vision just moments ago. Again, I could not change my perspective. If I witness Raphael taking Amy's life with the sword known as Soul Calibur, and am unable to see everything, I can't help but wonder from whose perspective I am viewing these events. Could it be that of the green-haired woman on the floor beside Amy?

I begin to wonder now if I should continue helping Raphael. I see his intentions now; he not only wants to harm me, but Amy as well. I mentally debate with myself over whether or not I should assist him, knowing this. After all, he will help me in return, and I don't care whether anyone lives or dies.

I decide to help him find this girl, even if it means ending her life to regain mine. I don't know who she is, so I don't care.

"And the girl with green hair?" My curiosity wins me over.

"My servant Marienbard… there was also Jacqueline... She had red hair, like Amy…"

Maybe I was wrong? More likely if the servants are together. They were dressed alike, after all.

"Had?" I question the vampire's use of past tense, because I know she lives in the future. So he couldn't have killed her yet.

"She's been dead for seventeen years," he clarifies.

How bewildering! I would understand if this was a recent event, but the girl I saw couldn't possibly have lived another seventeen years without aging. She looked no older than a woman in her early twenties.

"_Master! Raphael!" her haunting voice echoes still, into my ear._

Unless she might be a malfested as well.

"She can't be dead. In the future, you'll kill her."

"What… exactly… did you see?" his voice and facial expression instantly turn more vibrant.

"She watches you kill the other one… Marienbard? And… she pleads for her life, completely defenseless. Her arms are in the air. She poses no threat to you, but you still do not hesitate to cut her throat," I give him the details of my vision, terrified, but hopeful that the stars will shine again if I muster up the courage to go through with this.

"By any chance, did you see anyone push me?"

An odd question, but striking.

"That, I'm not sure. You do fall down, but I was unable to see if you were pushed. The perspective in this one put me right behind you. Lately I haven't been able to control the angle from which I see things, so I can't answer all of your questions. I'm sorry."

His fingertips touch my cheek, and I pull back when they travel across my face.

_I'm trapped against the wall. Not standing, but sitting. Not before Raphael, but before a guard._

"_Which way did he go?" he asks, making a threatening gesture to me._

_For the first time in years, I can feel. Not the physical or inner emotions regarding myself, such as embarrassment or fear. What I feel for this man is pure, undying hatred for what he had done. He was one responsible for the poverty and spreading illness that orphaned me. So I lie._

_I point in the wrong direction, intentionally. I see the green coat on my tiny body, the same green that I remember seeing in the mirror many times before, in my eyes. How old am I now? Ten? Who am I?_

_Raphael turns around, but returns to me before fleeing the town._

"_You… lied for me."_

"_It was more to spite him," I correct in my childish voice. "Don't worry about it."_

_He walks away without saying another word, but changes his mind again._

"_I owe you my life now," he tells me, sounding irked that I had done that._

_That's how we met._

When I return to the present, I panic when my spiderweb stockings snap off and Raphael's hands run down a single scarred leg of mine, as predicted.

"It is you! At last, Amy! I've found you!"

"What are you talking about? Stop touching me!" I demand, and he stands with a dead look in his eye.

"I knew it had to be you! Your voice, darling, do you not remember me?"

"I'm sorry. I know nothing of my life. Who… are you?"

"Amy, you know me! Look at me. Listen to my voice. I haven't forgotten yours!" he softly tells me as his hands reach out for my arms.

"But my face?" I look him in the inattentive eyes, wondering if I am who he thinks I am, if he knows my identity, then why doesn't he recognize my face?

"I'm so sorry, love… I wish I could _see _your face. Your beautiful, sweet face…"

Now it makes sense to me. I had never spoken to him until only a few minutes ago. He never looked me in the eye, but sometimes fell just short of mine in his gaze.

As if unable to control myself, my fingers put him to the test. I extend a single finger and inch its way to his gorgeous, but defective glowing red eye. He doesn't move, and only flinches when I graze his bottom eyelashes. He knocks my hand out of the way in irritation. At this moment, I actually care about him. Deeply. "You… really can't see me?"

"I'm so sorry love, it's the malfestation. I wish I could see you. I'm so sorry," he apologizes and kisses my hand, but is unable to look me in the eye. I am glad, for he cannot see me cry, although if he could, I would have no tears. I observe the same reaction from him.

At the same time, I am no longer empty. Nor is he. Raphael - my love - has found me, and I - Amy - remember now, everything. Tonight, the stars will shine to rejoice.

I only wish he could see them with me.


End file.
